I recently had the opportunity to travel to the Metroplolitan Museum of Art. Really up until April of 1012 I had only ever flown into New York City and then out on my way to some other destination. My trip in April was the first time I had been to New York City as a destination in itself.

But for this trip I traveled from Poughkeepsie to New York. Now having friends in Poughkeepsie makes actually getting into the city more of a reality for me.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We didn’t actually leave for the city until around noon at which time my friend George had me drive into the city. Now I grew up in Colorado and have driven in all sorts of areas and circumstances and in a variety of different vehicles including an eighteen wheeler but the prospect of actually driving in downtown New York City was just a little harrowing to me. I think I was misinformed by the media as to the realities. In the end it wasn’t really all that much different that driving in any other city.

We managed to get all the way from Poughkeepsie to New York without any problems at all really. Then once we actually found the museum we enjoyed an afternoon of some really fine art.

The Met, as it  is more familiarly known is evidently the largest museum in the USA. It measures out at almost one quarter mile and is home to more than two million works of art. The main building of the museum is located at the eastern edge of Central Park.

George had at one point suggested that I might like to go to some place called The Cloisters. He said that at The Cloisters, in addition to marvelous gardens that there was also a nice collection of Medieval art. I don’t recall hearing him say so, but it turns out that The Cloisters is another part of the Met.

While I am quite sure that I have not yet seen all that the Met has to offer I was able to enjoy a variety of collections including Greek, Egyptian, Asian, and Byzantine.

I was also pleased to see that the Met itself is an architecturally interesting building with lots of natural light pouring in from outside through greenhouse like glass panes.

Here we have The Temple of Dendur. The temple was built in approximately 15 BC in Nubia where it remained until 1963. It is now here in the museum rebuilt as it once was but protected from the natural and not so natural elements.

There are a plethora of wonderful things to see here at the Met. It would take me forever to post pictures of absolutely everything I saw when I was here. Instead I would suggest that if you  haven’t been here that you make a point of traveling to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

My dear friend Aileen has been traveling about the Northeast with her lovely mother Irene Rose O’Donoghue who is 91 years old.

Yesterday we started out with a return trip to Baily’s Island where we went to Land’s End, not the clothing store, but a place on Bailey Island where the road ends just before a little beach and then the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a glorious Maine day with brilliant sunshine and fabulous blue water along the coast.

While I usually take oodles of Photographs when I am out and about I thought to take videos. While we were dining on Fresh Maine Lobster at Cook’s Lobster House the evening before Irene would ocassionally relate a story from her life. She has 91 years of some of the most fabulous tales and experiences and she still exudes great passion in her story telling. So, while a picture is fine I was thinking that a video recording the stories and the woman herself would be much more interesting and something that could be treasured for forever.

Irene & Aileen Come to Maine

I’m not sure if it was because it was just the half day tour or if was because a few of the other participants on the tour became lost from time to time, but the amount of time we were given to explore the Acropolis and Parthenon (Παρθενών) was miniscule compared to the enormity of the site itself.

Athenian Acropolis

It’s a good thing that I am in fairly good shape (Angila said I was her hero because I climbed to the top hill of the nymphs to visit the Monument of Philopappos one morning) because I had to hurry through the Parthenon at the top of the Athenian Acropolis  (Αθηναϊκή Ακρόπολη ). The Acropolis itself is essentially a flat topped rock. It’s topmost surface is just shy of 500 feet above sea level and is surrounded on all sides by the vast city of Athens.

The Parthenon atop the Athenian Acropolis

The tour guide explained that the Acropolis has also been called the Citadel of Athens in addition to The Acropolis of Athens. I have also been to the Acropolis of Edinburgh, Scotland on which Edinburgh Castle sits majestically.

Of particular significance is that the Acropolis of Athens is often known as simply The Acropolis without any other identification. In fact, until this trip to Athens I was really not aware that acropolis merely means a high fortified point. But if you look in the dictionary under acropolis there are many references to the Athenian Acropolis.

While a little crowded on the first of September  I did manage to get around the top of the Acropolis and was able to photograph the Parthenon and other ruins atop the Athenian Acropolis.

The Erechtheum

While I hurried through the actual site in order to get all the photographs I wanted and still be back on the bus in time (and not become one of the hopelessly lost) I would be doing a disservice to this incredible site if I were to hurry through it in this blog. Therefore it’s going to take a few days just to explore this one incredible site.

And on my morning jaunt to Philopappas I was afforded some much better views of the approach to the top of the Athenian Acropolis and subsequent site of the Parthenon. Additionally I learned so much more when I went to the The Acropolis Museum which is a specialized museum in that every artifact within the walls of this modern museum was found either on the acropolis itself or at the foot of the rock.

Acropolis Museum as seen from the Parthenon atop the Athenian Acropolis

Evidently the museum sits atop an archeological site from Roman times. As one enters this museum there are glass panels in the floor that allow visitors to see not only the ancient excavations but also excavations which are currently being explored and documented.

September 1, 2011 (continued)

Meanwhile back at the mother ship, all the smaller shuttles had managed to drop off all the other eager tourists just chomping at the bit for  an Athenian Adventure. So, off we go to explore both the remnants of Ancient Greece as well as a more current Athens Experience.

As you might possibly imagine the tour guide at least attempted to set some general considerations for all of us. I can only imagine that working with tourists might be a lot like working with a slew of children in a busy classroom. In the end, as a tourist, I do consider myself a student of sorts. It’s not just an adventure but a fabulous learning experience. Generally in most circumstances it’s a really good idea to pay attention to what’s happening all around me. And while I consider myself fortunate to have Greek friends that speak English they weren’t with me on this particular tour and as I hadn’t established any real bearings I really didn’t want to get left behind. At the time, Greek, really was ελληνικά to me.

Jim & The Athens Experience Part Two

First stop was the Panathinaiko Stadium(Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο), which while at first sight didn’t appear to be an ancient architectural treasure per se but more a modern representation. But in fact it is essentially the same structure that was first constructed in 566BC. Then in 329 BC the structure was re-built to include marble seats and steps. In Greek culture it is also commonly known as Kallimarmaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο) which translates to “beautifully marbled.”

These seats are paved in Marble

The most recent renovation took place just before the 2004 Summer Olympic Games which were hosted and celebrated in Athens, Greece.

While the original structure is reputed to have held as many as eighty-thousand spectators, this most recent renovation has capacity for a mere forty-five thousand spectators. Just imagine this is the only major stadium in the world that is crafted entirely of marble. It is constructed of white marble that comes from Mount Penteli. As I traveled around Athens and other parts of Greece I did observe that marble has survived in many unexpected areas. I would imagine that their use of marble is akin to the use of native materials in other parts of the world.

Beautifully Marbled - Kallimarmaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο)

Another interesting feature of the current stadium is that the design specifications which were implemented some 2,577 years ago and have remained unchanged since that time match the current standards for athletic venues around the world. It appears that the Ancient Greeks set the standards way back then.

The Panathinaiko Stadium is located in downtown Athens not far from the National Gardens which as you may recall from part one are adjacent to both the Presidential Residence and Syntagma Square.

The Athenian Experience

Our tour guide allowed us to explore the area on our own but did ask that we be back on the bus within a fairly short period of time as this particular tour was just scheduled for half a day. My Greek friends advised the half day tour for a couple of reasons. First off, the intensity of the Greek summer sun can become overwhelming  during the middle part of the day. And then more of a cultural consideration is the “necessary siesta period.” I have siesta in quotes because that’s exactly how it was presented to me. And while I did not initially engage in this necessary activity there were a few days in Saronida where this necessary siesta period was in fact a blessing as it was just too hot to do anything else.

As you might imagine our departure from this venue was delayed as one of our group became lost. And our poor Shepard had to go find her. I couldn’t really be upset with the woman who got lost as I have many times had that feeling of being awestruck as the sheer enormity of it all sinks in and makes it’s impression upon me. Later when we actually get to Scotland I have a funny story to tell.

Tomorrow, after we locate the woman who got lost somewhere around the Stadium we will take a first visit over to the relatively new Archeological Museum which is nothing short of amazing.

Jim & The Athens Experience- Part Two

September 1, 2011

The tour bus arrived essentially right on time although it was a little difficult to tell that it was actually the right bus. But no worries. It was 7:45 in the morning and possibly already 90 degrees F. It was fabulous for this Mainer who’s lost 120 pounds in just two years and has subsequently been freezing to death.

I was proactive for this first real tour of Athens. I had put everything together the night before so I was sure not to forget anything that I wanted to take along with me. Breakfast was a hurried event this morning. But except for the part about not enough coffee, I think I could get used to feta and fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and a myriad of select proteins for the first meal of the day.

Jim & The Athens Experience - Part One

The first bus was a wee blue thing that whisked me off to Syntagma Square where we were transferred to the mother ship, a much larger bus. We sat in the bus for about thirty minutes waiting for the smaller shuttles to bring yet other eager tourists to the mother ship.

If you are ever aching for the Athenian traffic experience this is the place to visit. When I was in Italy I was amazed at how creatively the Italians drive. In the film Under The Tuscan Sun there is a line that goes something like “A yellow traffic light is just a suggestion.” Now I am thinking that all Europeans must go to the same driving school. It’s important to note that while in the states pedestrians have the right of way, they don’t in places like Italy, Greece, France and the UK. And while I do know that I have nearly been creamed a couple of times primarily because I was looking the wrong way.

Guarding the Palace in Athens

Syntagma( Πλατεία Συντάγματος) Square is a central hub in Athens. Of particular interest is the Greek Parliament which is just past Amalias Avenue to the east. Here, if you happen to be in the vicinity on the hour you can see the changing of the guard. I did not see it on this day but on another when Yioryis and I were doing a marathon walk through a myriad of neighborhoods in Athens. In fact on that day I not only saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Μνημείο του Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη) but also in front of the Presidential Palace which is across the street from one side of the National Gardens; a huge park with a variety of gardens and really an oasis in the central part of Athens.

The Athens Experience - Changing of the Guards

The changing of the guards is fascinating to see. It’s unlike any other guard changing ceremony I had ever seen before. I was told that there are very strict rules about becoming a guard, but it’s also an enormous honor. What I recall is that you must be 100% Greek and you must be not less than 6’2″ tall. My friend Alexander (Αλέξανδρος) would not have qualified for such a position partly because he is only 6 feet tall but more because he has an interesting case of ADHD and one of the other integral requirements is the ability to stand at attention in the blazing hot Athenian sun for hours at a time and not move at all. I’m quite certain I couldn’t do that either.

I wonder if I could rent a guard?

During travels to other places where there have been similar sorts of guards I have seen tourists all but harass these brave young men as they are attending to this honorable duty. I was impressed that in Greece you can see the guards, and you can have your picture taken with them in a respectful manner. But there is a third guard there who is essentially a guard for the guards. Quite frankly I would find it impossible to stand there for any length of time under those conditions. Oh and did I forget to mention the traditional uniform. I was wearing shorts and a thin tee-shirt and was quite comfortable. But to be dressed to the hilt in what appears to be heavy wool? That takes true dedication.

Formal Guard in full traditional Dress Uniform

One Hundred Percent Greek

I’ve only briefly mentioned above that the National Gardens (Εθνικός Κήπος) are within walking distance of the Parliament Building bordering one side of Syntagma Square. Also within just a short walk are some of the oldest and most interesting neighborhoods in Athens. I know I was in Plaka (Πλάκα) and Monastiraki (Μοναστηράκι). I’m not so sure I was in either Psiri (Ψυρρή)  or Kolonaki (Κολωνάκι). I was really only in Greece for a rather short eighteen days and while I did see and experience many wonderful things I know I will have to return many times in order to see and experience so much more.

These Streets are Paved in Marble

And, yes there is more so much more there are some of the more famous sites that are all within a very short distance of Syntagma Square. In subsequent blog posts we will be traveling to places like The Acropolis(Ακρόπολις) , The Theater of Dionysus  which I was able to see from a distance, The ancient Agora of Athens (Αρχαία Αγορά των Αθηνών) where Yioryis heard and translated for me some much younger Athenian men note that when they are as “OLD,” as these two guys (Yioryis and me) they hope to be in as good physical condition. I will also take you to Philopappos Monument  (Μνημείο του Φιλοπάππου) at the top of the hill of the nymphs and finally to Lycabettus Hill where I was essentially and almost overwhelmingly struck with the sheer enormity of the city of Athens Greece.

And yes, I am holding out just a wee bit with a special experience. But you have to come back to see what that might be. Nope, sorry..it’s a secret. Shhhh.

And this is merely The Athens Experience. Just wait until we set sail for the Islands of Greece.

Sailing In The Greek Islands

Jim & The Athens Experience continues tomorrow. So come travel along with me. We have some amazing places to visit.

After touring the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion we traveled up the cost a bit to the fishing village of Laurium. In ancient times Laurium was known for thier mining of silver which was then turned into coinage mainly used in Athens. Evidently they also had a terrible reputation for the way they treated slaves who worked in the silver mines.

Today it is partly a peaceful fishing village and partly the home to several yacht leasing companies. Evidently this is the place where my friend Yioryis goes when he wants to lease a yacht that he then sails in and around and amongst the various Greek Islands.

Laurium Yachts

Once we finished a leisurely walk through the boat yard and some of the small village that is there. We settled on having dinner at a small  outdoor cafe. While there weren’t too many others dining at what I now know to be a rather early hour at about 9:00 to 10:00pm, pretty much as soon as we sat down we were joined by eager dinner guests.

Dinner Guests in Laurium

Prior to traveling to Rome in March I had been told that I would see lots and lots of cats there. But it seems to me that there are quite a few more cats all about Greece.

Fresh fish for dinner

We actually went up to the cooler at this cafe and picked out the fish that would then be our dinner. I’m guessing that our dinner guests are used to visitors taking pity on such sweet countenances and handing over a morsel or two here and there. They were all quite patient and cute. Not a one of our guests ever ventured to leap onto the table to abscond with anything uninvited.

Sweet, Innocent Dinner Guest in Laurium

I would think that after three bottles of Ouzo that Our Dinner Guests in Laurium could have gotten away with just about anything. Of course I think I was more affected by the Ouzo than either on my Greek friends. Yioryis did say that this particular Ouzo seemed a bit stronger than some other that I was able to enjoy, but then at 40% alcohol I guess it would be.

Oreki Ouzo

Polite Dinner Guests in Laurium

Next Stop is the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

After a marathon walk with Yioryis in the hills behind the village of Saronida we took a nice jaunt down the road to Cape Sounion. Here I was introduced to the ancient temple of Poseidon which sits high on a promontory that extends out into the Aegean sea.

Here Yioryis reminded me of the story of King Aegus and his son Theseus. It goes something like this. Theseus set sail for Crete as a part of a group that was intended as tribute for King Minos. Evidently King Minos demanded a tribute of fourteen youths; seven men and seven women each year who would be devoured by the great and feared Minotaur.

Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion

Theseus set sail as a part of this group with the intention of doing battle with the Minotaur and ending the tribute sacrifices to King Minos. Before he set sail he agreed with is father that upon his return if he had been successful in his quest to kill the Minotaur that he would return flying a white sail.

Cape Sounion

Theseus was indeed successful and slain the Minotaur. However he forgot to fly the white sail upon his return. So when his father saw only the black sail he was so stricken with grief that he hurled himself from the cliffs just beyond the Temple of Poseidon into what is now known as the Aegean Sea.

Yioryis pointed out the stone from which King Aegus hurled himself to his death on the rocks below. While much of the area is roped off to keep tourists and others from venturing too close to the edge much of the area is open. The main temple is now roped off and un-pretentious guards mill about with the other visitors to the temple.

The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion

I was completely unaware of the presence of guards until one of them sounded an alarm alerting other guards that an invader had crossed the boundaries around the temple and were (somewhat) secretly ensconced inside the temple. The invader and his lady friend were removed from the area.

While we were there Yioryis scoured the areas that we could see from behind the ropes searching for the inscription in the temple wall that reads “Byron.” Evidently in the early 1800′s Lord Byron traveled to Athens and Sounion and is said to have carved his name into the stone below the columns.

Lord Byron was here

It was Yioryis who was able to speak to one of the temple guards who then took my camera up to the area on the temple where the inscription clearly says “Byron.” While there is some contention about the authenticity of this carved name it is indeed clearly a part of the history of this place.

Byron mentions the Temple of Poseidon in his poem “The Isles of Greece.”

Lord Jim at Cape Sounion

According to my friends Yiorgis and Anguilla Demetrius is synonymous with James. I don’t often refer to myself as James although there have been others that do. Even so James is indeed my name and so  whilst I am in Greece I am certainly okay with Demetrius. In fact just for fun I recently changed my iPhone setting to Demetrius Talbottopolis or “Δημητρησ Ταλμπετοπολισ,” Thanks to my friend Alexander for translating it into the Greek. Quite frankly I like the way it looks although I haven’t a clue how I would go about pronouncing that.

Demetrius in Saronida

So, on we go to Saronida. First off, to pronounce it correctly you might say “Saroni-dth-a.” I know it might be somewhat different than English per say but what you want to do is to pronounce it with the “th” sound but adding a bit of the “d” sound. To me it’s a lot like cooking where you add a little bit of this with a little bit of that and then you end up (hopefully) with something fabulous and tasty.

The picture above is actually a photograph I took from the terrace of my friends Anguilla and Yiorgis. We traveled here today from Athens so that we could enjoy the swimming and beach community.

Yacht at Saronida

Verandah in Saronida

According to my friends it was unusually humid this day. And mostly because of this unusual humidity they could not share the beautiful sunset with me that they usually enjoy from their lovely verandah.

After the requisite siesta Yiorgis and I took the Dog Botticelli for a five minute walk. Actually our five minute walk turned into a forty-five minute hike up into the hills behind the houses of Saronida. I’m thinking that poor Botticelli doesn’t often get that much exercise as he had some difficulty keeping up.

Botticelli

But for me it was a nice walk in the hills and the views from way up were lovely, albeit somewhat foggy.

View from on top of the hills of Saronida

You might be wondering what I am on about now. Well the title for this post is actually the name of the first restaurant in which I enjoyed a fine Greek meal when I arrived here in Athens, Greece on the thirtieth of August.

While not all my flights were on time we did seem to manage to get to our destinations on time and without too too much difficulty. Because I have recently flown long distance from Maine to San Francisco I already had a good idea that the airplane seats could be rather uncomfortable. So I had prepared for this next adventure by ordering both a neck pillow and an inflatable seat cushion. And quite frankly I made a great decision. I actually had a nice sleep on the plane and arrived in Athens relatively rested and not numb from the pain.

Waiting to Depart from Amsterdam to Athens

George Katopis met me at the airport and whisked me off to my hotel The Athenian Callirhoe. I had been led to believe that this was a four star hotel. But after being here now for several days I have my doubts. Even my Greek friends Yiorgis & Angilla have commented that the people at the desk here are less than helpful and neither professional nor terribly friendly. Nevertheless it’s a place to sleep and that’s all I really need to start my journey. Next time I come to Athens I will stay elsewhere.

Rooftop Restaurant at the Athenian Callirhoe

Yiorgis & Angilla picked me up at the hotel at around 9:30pm when we then went to the Grasshopper & the Ant for a fabulous taste of all sorts of Greek food. My friends have told me that this is a place that is not frequented by tourists as it is difficult to find and the people here speak Greek. It’s more the neighborhood restaurant than a tourist attraction.

Four Star Hotel ?

4 Star Hotel ?

At some point during this first meal in Greece Yiorgis announced that he thought it was time to get me back to my hotel because he thought I was fading. I let him know that after around 15 hours of flying time, the Ouzo with which we started the meal and the several carafes of Greek wine that it was a wonder I was still even half awake. I slept fabulously and I haven’t experienced Jet-lag at all.

Tomorrow we go to Saronida,

Just this past Tuesday I took a trip out to Admiral Peary’s Eagle Island. All too often because I live here in Maine I seem to not be able to get out beyond the little village where I live and get to some of the prettiest places that Maine has to offer.

The  twenty passenger boat that makes it’s way out there met us at Cook’s Lobster House on Bailey Island. Bailey Island is the southernmost Island of a string of Islands known locally as The Harpswells.

Boats at Cooks Lobster House

Admiral Robert Edwin Peary is most known for his accomplishment to have planted the American Flag at the North Pole on April 6, 1909. This was the achievement of a lifelong dream for Admiral Peary who spent a significant portion of his career employed as a cartographer as well as a civil engineer in The United States Navy.

Peary's Eagle Island

His other lifelong dream was to build a home on Eagle Island in Casco Bay which he was able to purchase in 1877 for the grand sum of $200.00 just after he graduated with honors from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. It is said that he paid for the Island with money he had earned on his own.

Peary's Eagle Island Home

The house is located on the northernmost point of this seventeen acre island. Peary evidently envisioned this point of the island as much like that of the bow of a ship sailing northward.

Passage to Peary's Eagle Island

Peary and his family spent summers on Eagle Island from 1904 until 1955. One of the tour guides quotes Peary’s son as having said “Our home was in Washington D.C., but we really LIVED on Eagle Island.

When I was there this week our boat pulled up to a nicely constructed dock and passage way leading to the island and the house. But as I understand it during the day’s that the Peary family spent summers here there was no such dock. The family would maneuver their boat through the precarious rocky passage and then unload their boat and belongings on the beach just below the house.

As we approach the house across the lawn we come first to the doorway into Admiral

Doorway to the Admiral's study

Peary’s study which is located in the round stone structure with the lovely windows that look out to sea.

Admiral Peary's Study

South Harpswell to the north as seen from Eagle Island

The tour guide told me that often either the caretaker or a member of the family would bring supplies including blocks of ice from South Harpswell to the Peary’s Eagle Island in a row boat.

The Peary House from the back looking north towards Harpswell

During the time they spent summers here they had no electricity or running water. They had lovely oil lamps that are preserved there just as they were 100 years ago. And even now there is an outhouse which accommodates the Park Ranger who manages Eagle Island as a Maine Historic site, the volunteers and summer visitors who come to the island.

On March 11, 1911 Peary retired from the Navy a full Rear Admiral. The first order of business for him was to gather all the quality carpenters, masons, and other craftsmen who would then craft the house that now sits proudly on the northernmost bluff fulfilling Peary’s vision of his house as if it were the prow of a grand ship heading north through Casco Bay.

Three sided fireplace.

While I have seen many older homes in Maine that boast, among other things a grand center chimney often with four flues this house has the only three sided fireplace I have ever seen. The tour guide made sure to mention that each of the three sides was crafted of a different kind of stone.

Atlantic Queen Cookstove

In the kitchen you can see an old Queen Atlantic stove. More than likely this stove served not only as a cook stove but as a source of heat for the more chilly Maine spring and autumn seasons.

Seaside Bedroom

Once finished the house boasted five bedrooms upstairs. My first thought at seeing the windows looking out to the ocean was how nice it would be to wake up in the morning to such a fabulous view to say nothing of the sounds of crashing surf below.

Player Piano before the days of cell phones & Computers

The Payer Piano which sits along one wall not far from the three sided fireplace is one octave shorter than most pianos so that it would fit perfectly along that wall. Evidently no one missed that extra octave. It was a luxury just having it out there for the family to enjoy.

Admiral Peary died at the age of sixty-four in Washington D.C., on January 20, 1920 from an incurable (at that time) case of pernicious anemia.

View out to Sea

In 1955 after the death of Admiral Peary’s wife the surviving family chose to give Peary’s Eagle Island to the State of Maine so that it could be preserved as a Maine Historic site which could then be enjoyed by travelers who come to the island during the summer months.

The present Park Ranger has lived in the caretakers cottage for the past seventeen summers. The flowers that can be seen all about the island and near the house are her contribution to a well loved island. The tours of the house are facilitated by the all volunteer crew of The Friends of Eagle Island.

Caretakers Cottage & Lobster bouys

If you’d care to help preserve this historic site you can do so by becoming  a member of the Friends of Eagle Island. This all volunteer, non-profit group serves to maintain Peary’s Eagle Island just as it was One Hundred Years ago.

Peary's Eagle Island

Leaving Peary's Eagle Island & Heading for Bailey's Island